Bąkowski, Krzysztof (EN)

Bąkowski Krzysztof *28 November 1961 Warsaw, Polish violinist. In 1983, he graduated from the Academy of Music in Warsaw, where he studied under his father, Zenon Bąkowski (1920–92), a professor at that institution and long-time concertmaster of the National Philharmonic. From 1984 to 1986, he pursued supplementary studies at Indiana University in Bloomington in violin performance (under J. Gingold and T. Wroński), chamber music (under G. Sebok), conducting, and contemporary music. In 1990, he won first prize at the T. Wroński Violin Competition. Since 1985, after the premiere of H. Kulenta’s Still Life with a Violin, he has specialized in the interpretation of contemporary music. He has several dozen premieres to his credit, including works by H. Kulenta, T. Wielecki, J. Kornowicz (dedicated to him), as well as Z. Krauze, A. Lasoń, P. Szymański, A. Dziadek, and A. Dutkiewicz. He was the first to perform compositions by A. Pärt, C. Nancarrow, M. Finnissy, and A. Nordheim in Poland. He has performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival (1989, 1994, 1997) and, as a performer and lecturer, at contemporary music festivals in Rotterdam (1989), Lerchenberg (1990), Louisville (1992), Minsk (1993), Odense (1994), Alpendoorn, and Berlin (1995). He has made numerous radio recordings, among which Concerto festivo for violin and orchestra by A. Lasoń, performed with the WOSPR under the direction of T. Bugaj, received a distinction from the International Composers’ Tribune in Paris (1997). The recording for Naxos (1994) of Chain II and Partita for violin and orchestra by W. Lutosławski (WOSPR under the direction of A. Wit) was awarded the French critics’ prize Diapason d’Or.